December Stories: Day 1

Start December by being sick. We have caught a deadly virus that has knocked us – me and Martha – out. We are on the mend, with Martha getting better quickly than me. The young ones have their regenerative powers to full bar status while us, #titasofManila, are finding it hard to recharge quickly as time goes by (signs of abuse, wear and tear, and aging).

Start December by being swamped with work. But this is actually a good thing if I think about it now because I still have work.

Start December by being so preoccupied with Gong Yoo. See, it’s actually going to be an early Christmas for us who love Gong Yoo. His drama, Goblin, is set to air tomorrow – and I cannot believe that I will have eight wonderful weeks of seeing him twice a week for an hour after four long years. Yes. I am overly melodramatic. Yes. I sound crazy. Yes. yes. YES! You know what? I don’t.care.

This is how you start December:

Start December by kissing your girl and wishing her luck with her exams today as she goes out of the house. “Running Man Mission: ALL 90!”

Start December by taking a pause, praying and thanking God how He has been kinder to you this year despite the many challenges and scares.

Start December by sending countdown messages to your husband, so the anticipation and excitement builds and pray harder that you get to give him a memorable, restful, happy vacation.

Start December by hanging out with friends who you need for the laughs, for the serious talks, for the love of Gong Yoo.

Start December by shopping for gifts, little somethings for everyone who has made 2016 a little better for you and your family.

So what if:

So you didn’t have a task for Martha’s advent calendar, you still don’t have that white replacement cover set for the couch yet nor the Christmas-themed pillows. You still haven’t put up those Christmas picture frames. You still haven’t received your 13th month pay (bonus!) – which all other holiday-related tasks and projects depend on. You’re still coughing. You are bloated. You can’t go out because it’s cold and your flu might get worse.

But it’s 11PM

You’ve had a full day. You talked with every single person that matters. You got your tree glowing brightly, your new laptop working efficiently and you are writing.

Aggie Aviso describes herself as her family’s storyteller and memory keeper. A mom to two kids ages 14 and 8, she is certainly past the age of sleepless nights and adorable pigtails. However, motherhood stays exciting, more meaningful and yes, more challenging. She takes it all in stride, knowing fully well that moments pass by in a blink of an eye. As Gretchen Rubin famously said, “The days are long, but the years are short.” She has discovered how wonderful it is to have those fleeting moments in time documented in their family books and has made it her personal mission and passion to be able to tell their stories for her future grandkids. You can read more about her here.. Subscribe to blog updates and the occasional letter here.